Memory Disorders Long Term Post-DS?

[writegirl]

On a related note... many RNYers take Coromega Omega 3 because this is an omega 3 they are able to absorb. Does anyone know if DSers are able to absorb this at a rate higher than other fats? I once saw a posting from a DSer indicated that she was able to bring up her HDL by taking this. Or, is it that a fat is a fat, and something we only absorb at a very low rate? I have chronic dry eye and once my Vit A gets to the bottom level of "normal" I have a serious flair up of dry eye. My ophthalmologist does not get DS and always recommends fish oil, and I am going to start experimenting with the Coromega again.

Link from Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Coromega-Omega-3-Supplement-Squeeze-90-Count/dp/B000FFQATA?th=1

Interesting...I would imagine we would have at least a better chance at absorption with the squeeze packets. My LDL and overall cholesterol were slightly high on my pre-op labs. I may give this a try.

 

[KathrynK]

MY stroke was not silent. I had a ruptured cerebral aneurysm at age 44, leading to a hemorrhagic stroke that required open brain surgery (they do them with a catheter now). It was bad enough for the doctor to ask if I had "seen the light" during it (I hadn't). Luckily, it was a right artery(less cognitive damage) and it was an artery that was somewhat redundant, the right posterior communicating artery, for those who know the brain. And, very lucky that it occurred in Manhattan, blocks from the world's best brain surgeon (minutes matter in stroke). Curiously, I was overweight (around 200 lb), but not as overweight as I became afterwards. The doc's theory was my hypertension, weight, my late-life pregnancy (child born at age 43) and genetics (my maternal grandmother died suddenly of a stroke at almost the same age). I quickly gained about 100 lbs after it and I had the DS at age 54. My memory for a few years around age 43 is lost, but new memories have formed since then. I have short term memory problems and some word-finding lapses when speaking, but not writing, but they don't stop me for the most part and I still know what keys are for.

Of Munchin's comment that she can't remember names, I can't remember new faces. My son's new girlfriend is Korean and I am terrified she will bring another Korean woman to an event and I won't be able to tell them apart. Other than that, balance problems, inability to read maps, occasional panic attacks, and occasional seizures have happened. Still worked for many years after the stroke. But because I have less brain left, any issue with malnutrition affecting the brain is of great concern. I am glad to see the consensus that most Long-term DSers are having problems no worse than others their age. I know I have lived longer because of DS and any downside is far outweighed by that!

 

[Munchkin]

As far as the fish oil goes, take it if you want to. We do absorb some of the fat we eat and the further out you are, you absorb a little more. It certainly won't hurt you.

 

[k9ophile]

@southernlady I misplaced my car key, but knew I'd find it eventually. DH insisted on getting a new one instead of using his until it surfaced. Just can't go to Ace hardware for a new one. These electronic ones are over $200. Since then I've developed the habit of throwing it in my purse before leaving the car. Kinda like training myself to fasten my seatbelt before starting the engine.

 

[k9ophile]

On a related note... many RNYers take Coromega Omega 3 because this is an omega 3 they are able to absorb. Does anyone know if DSers are able to absorb this at a rate higher than other fats? I once saw a posting from a DSer indicated that she was able to bring up her HDL by taking this. Or, is it that a fat is a fat, and something we only absorb at a very low rate? I have chronic dry eye and once my Vit A gets to the bottom level of "normal" I have a serious flair up of dry eye. My ophthalmologist does not get DS and always recommends fish oil, and I am going to start experimenting with the Coromega again.

Link from Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Coromega-Omega-3-Supplement-Squeeze-90-Count/dp/B000FFQATA?th=1

I use this and am satisfied with my labs (DS). It actually is one thing my surgeon recommended that was useful. I really like flavored coffee and those little cups of *creamer* are so convenient. I had to learn to stay away from artificial coffee creamers. Those influences on my cholesterol had to be stopped. Since my kidney stones, I've changed my coffee from daily to rare treat at a coffee shop. A bottle of Torani syrup would last me for years.

 

[Spiky Bugger]

Silent strokes scare the Hades out of me. What is interesting about recent stroke stats is that more young people are having them. In fact, I personally know two people who had rather massive strokes in their 30's. One of them was a former boyfriend whom I started dating a few years after his stroke. By all accounts, his recovery is incredible. He's an engineer, back to work, etc. etc. -- what is less obvious is that he continues to have personality "lapses." That is the only way I can describe them. He's like different people at different times, it gets worse with stress. He repeats everything, like stories he's told you, over and over again. This started worsening and he would have forgetful episodes where he is unable to remember something he said or did or entire conversations. That is what led to our break up. He became increasingly difficult and argumentative (frustration at being the former genius who can no longer remember things that should be easy for him, such as parts of the periodic table). It made him become verbally abusive. The reason that I bring him up is that I kept warning him he was having silent strokes. He refused to even entertain the idea that his miracle recovery was being compromised by silent strokes. Scary part? He works at a power plant in New Jersey and he's the guy who works the numbers out that work the machinery. No one at his job knows he's had a stroke.

The other friend who had a stroke at 33 years old was having silent strokes. We (her friends) actually feel like shit about this because she'd been acting strangely for about a year, she was slurring her words and acting drunk. In fact, her neighbors called the police because they thought she was drunk picking her child up at the bus stop. She apparently drove up a curb, got out of her car all wobbly, was slurring. The strokes still went undiagnosed until she had a major stroke a few months later.

I wish I had realized she was having strokes. We kept thinking she was drinking or on drugs and we all missed the signs--including her own husband who was convinced she was doing drugs or drinking and hiding it from him.

It would make an interesting study to see if the chances of silent strokes or major strokes increase for bariatric patients.

You will understand far more of this than I do, but I think we fit into several of the contributing factor categories?

Source: http://stroke.ahajournals.org/content/45/11/3461

Risk factors for silent brain infarction. AF indicates atrial fibrillation; CEA/CAS, carotid endarterectomy/carotid stenting; CI, cardiovascular interventions; CKD, chronic kidney disease; CTS, cardiothoracic surgery; eNOS, endothelial nitric oxide synthetase; GA, general anesthetic; Hct, homocysteine; hs-CRP, high-sensitivity-C-reactive protein; ICAM-1, intracellular adhesion molecule-1; MTHFR, methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase; OSA, obstructive sleep apnoea; PRKCH, protein kinase Cη (human); TAVI, transcatheter aortic valve implantation; VEGF, vascular endothelial growth factor; and vWF, von Willebrand Factor.

 

[southernlady]

One of them was a former boyfriend whom I started dating a few years after his stroke. By all accounts, his recovery is incredible. He's an engineer, back to work, etc. etc. -- what is less obvious is that he continues to have personality "lapses." That is the only way I can describe them. He's like different people at different times, it gets worse with stress. He repeats everything, like stories he's told you, over and over again. This started worsening and he would have forgetful episodes where he is unable to remember something he said or did or entire conversations. That is what led to our break up. He became increasingly difficult and argumentative (frustration at being the former genius who can no longer remember things that should be easy for him, such as parts of the periodic table). It made him become verbally abusive. The reason that I bring him up is that I kept warning him he was having silent strokes. He refused to even entertain the idea that his miracle recovery was being compromised by silent strokes. Scary part? He works at a power plant in New Jersey and he's the guy who works the numbers out that work the machinery. No one at his job knows he's had a stroke.

This is not only frustrating for him but could be DEADLY at his job. What happens if he works the numbers wrong and causes a machine to fail? The company could be sued and everyone who had anything to do with the failure could be sued. If his medical history comes out, the company could be in even bigger trouble. Esp if a death occurs because of the failure.

A stroke and subsequent TIA's combined with NPH due to a head trauma is why my dh is medically retired from the Nuclear Division at GE and has been since 2009. He was responsible for a part of the next generator reactors being built. My argument to the Neuropsychologogist was exactly what I mentioned above...they could easily lay all blame on him if something failed that was part of his job, even if it was done by someone else. He had the issue. I didn't want him retired but I did want him to be given something far less critical as long as it didn't hurt our income. Being medically retired DID hurt our bottom line and it took almost 8 years to recovery.

The stroke was never officially diagnosed by anyone in the medical field so now, if asked if he's had a stroke, he can say no. But he knows he had one, I know he had one. All this was way before his DS and being morbidly obese and on a blood pressure med werre contributing factors. Apparently he needed a change of meds as well as a second one and the stroke happened when his blood pressure shot up in spite of being on one already.

The twits at the hospital he went to called it a "complicated migraine". Half his body wasn't responding...

 

[Razbry]

I went down the tubes nutritionally five years ago. I kept thinking, so this is how it feels to become really old. I just could not think or retain information. All my vit. levels were bottomed out, but my copper level was non-existent. I'd add copper to the list for healthy brain function. I am 63, and when I converse with people of my own age, we all seem to be about the same in our recall abilities. There will always be the occasional 100 year old who is sharp as a tack, but for the most part I consider myself "normal" in brain function. (Note: not everyone agrees with this. hahahahahaha)

 

[hilary1617]

I've had lethologica since childhood, but tend to have other brain challenges when my iron levels drop and anemia occurs. In fact, I know it's time to go in for an iron infusion when certain defects appear in my typing/writing (missed or repeated words and phrases).

In the past two months or so I've developed a weird twitch - it's just the annoying under eye twitch that everyone gets once in a while, only it is a multiple-time per day event for me with my right eye. Also a couple of weeks ago, I was front row center watching the Peking acrobats with my kids when a huge spotlight came on and then that whole side of my face started twitching uncontrollably (not just eye, mouth too - scared the kids, fortunately not the acrobats). I'm chalking this up to stress, lack of sleep, and excessive caffeine intake for now, but will get it checked out if it progresses further... So, the long and short of it is that stress does crazy things to humans. If it is making my face twitch, it is probably impacting my brain in other ways including recall capacity and speed...

 

[bearmom]

Perhaps this is from the same group you mentioned initially, but someone there linked to a review of a paper on memory issues and low iron (in normies, not specifically DS). Interestingly, it looks like there can be problems from just lowish iron, not just anemia levels. That really caught my eye.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-low-iron-idUSCOL35631120070323

 

[galaxygrrl]

@southernlady I misplaced my car key, but knew I'd find it eventually. DH insisted on getting a new one instead of using his until it surfaced. Just can't go to Ace hardware for a new one. These electronic ones are over $200. Since then I've developed the habit of throwing it in my purse before leaving the car. Kinda like training myself to fasten my seatbelt before starting the engine.

OK, you should try this product. I love it. I did not remember where I put my keys or phone before surgery either.

https://www.amazon.com/Tile-Mate-Fi...s&ie=UTF8&qid=1500322289&sr=1-3&keywords=tile